Jimmy T.K. Tse
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Devon Partnership NHS Trust & South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
2021–2022: Completed MSc in Clinical Psychology in London.
2022–2023: Obtained my first NHS role as a Support, Time & Recovery (STR) worker in a Community Recovery Service and Integrated Crisis Assessment Hub in Northeast London.
2023–2025: Progressed to Assistant Clinical Psychologist roles in a pilot Community Service sitting between primary and secondary care, and in a Specialist Neuropsychiatry service across Southeast and Southwest London.
Early–Mid 2025: Moved to a Clinical Research Trials Assistant role at Medical Research & Development (R&D) in Southwest London.
Late 2025–current: Taking on an ad-hoc position with the University of Cambridge as a Specialist Mentor.
Sep 2025–current: Completing doctorate-level clinical training as a Trainee Clinical Psychologist with Devon Partnership NHS Trust and the University of Exeter, alongside an Honorary Clinical Researcher role in the Neuropsychiatry service at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Becoming a Clinical Psychologist has always been a goal of mine since my undergrad at Exeter. It requires a wide range of skills, and reaching this point in my career has been both challenging and rewarding. The reason I chose this profession – and have never given up on it – is that my mindset aligns closely with the core competencies of a Clinical Psychologist. For example, I value the ability to produce high-quality research that can make a meaningful impact on individuals, communities, or broader society through a scientist-practitioner model. So conducting research and collaborating with a variety of experts – whether academics, clinicians, or even service users in clinical settings – is one of the aspects of my work that I find most enjoyable.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Clinical Psychology is one of the branches you can pursue after completing a psychology degree. It’s worth exploring different fields in psychology to discover where your true passion lies. Even within Clinical Psychology, there is a wide range of career paths you can follow, so don’t limit your options early in your studies or career – you might find something else that interests you even more in the future!
If you do want to pursue a career as a Clinical Psychologist, it might sound a bit contradictory to what I just said, but it’s important to plan and prepare as early as possible. This includes developing the right mindset, building relevant skills, and considering potential career pathways. Since the process of entering a doctorate programme is highly competitive, self-care and managing your expectations are also very crucial.
